Sunday, April 21, 2024

AEW Dynasty 2024



This is one of the company's most-loaded lineups and has a packed Zero Hour too. I love The Bucks arriving in a Cybertruck. We start off with Trent facing off with Sydal facing Trent in a Superstars special. BUSAIKU KNEE HITS! Tremendous sell by Sydal there too! Hell's Gate gets the tapout! Shibata and Orange against Shane Taylor and Lee Morairty and I love watching Shibata just dismantle Moriarty on the mat. Shibata and Taylor are fantastic together too. Taylor hits a nasty Taker draping lugdrop on the apron to OC! Taylor puts his hands in his pockets for GIANT WAHOO CHOPS! TAYLOR AND OC GO AT IT WITH FISTICUFFS and a headbutt hits for Taylor! Shibata chokes Taylor! PK TO TAYLOR! ORANGE PUNCH ENDS IT!



Caster gets in an insane rap about White having to tell legal how his dick tastes before just...god these guys just cannot have a good match together. WE GET MORE JAY WHITE VS. BILLY GUNN FOR GOD KNOWS WHAT REASON and Colten almost beats his dad with the one and only. White uses the bat and the 3:10 to Yuma HITS FOR 2.9! ACCLAIMED SAVE BILLY and scissor each other after a superkick to Jay. Uranage to Bowens! Billy avoids a sleeper suplex and a fameasser hits and a flying elbow gets 2. BLADERUNNER ENDS IT AND THE BBG WINS IT ALL!





A cool epic video starts things off. I think they're starting off with Ospreay vs. Danielson, which seems crazy. Hopefully it's followed up with like Jericho vs. HOOK and we're getting JR to start too! PAC looks through the tunnel holes to add another layer of fear to his intro. Renee is next to the ramp and recaps her interview with PAC earlier. JR talks about seeing Okada at WK9 and falling in love with his work on that day against Tana while Ex talks about his training in Mexico with Ultimo. 







Nice matwork to start until PAC dominates him on the floor and ravages the right rainmaker arm! AVALANCHE BRAINBUSTER BY PAC! Okada torments him on the floor before THE GODDAMN DROPKICK! DRAPING DDT OFF THE BARRICADE AND OKADA LAUGHS AT HIM! GORGEOUS ASAI MOONSAULT BY PAC! SHOTGUN MISSILE DROPKICK GETS 2! PAC HITS A SNAP GERMAN AND OKADA RESPONDS WITH A SHOTGUN DROPKICK OF HIS OWN!







Gorgeous diving elbow by Okada! RAINMAKER POSE IS MET WITH A BIRD! DEADLIFT GERMAN BY PAC! BLACK ARROW MISSES! Landslide...no TOMBSTONE BY OKADA! Spladle out of a rainmaker gets 2 for PAC! Victory Roll for 2 for PAC! STANDING BRUTALIZER ALA CRUCIFIX! Eye rake by Okada and another tombstone is met with a TOMBSTONE COUNTER! Okada grabs the ref and Pac just PRIDE stomps him! BLACK ARROW HITS THE KNEES AND A RAINMAKER WINS IT! Easy four star-plus opener! Pac gets a HE'S OUR BASTARD chant.


House of Black vs. Copeland, Kingston, and Mark Briscoe. King and Kingston chop the shit out of each other and Mark landed a cool run-up-a-chair somersault senton to King on the floor off the apron! Kingston fires up with a chop so much that he falls down! Powerbombs to the other members of HOB before COPE SUPERPLEXES KING! Malakai's mist and THE END PIN COPELAND - so they're setting up Malakai vs. Cope on TV for the title!





Julia Hart vs. Willow is up for the TBS Title. Willow bodychecks her to start before going up and getting dropkicked to the floor and stomped away at mid-ring. Moonsault meets boots to the jaw and a big lariat! BABE WITH THE POWERBOMB WINS IT! "CHUCK E CHEESE HERE WE COME!" from Stoke! Kris and Stoke celebrate before THA CEO CEO CEO CEO comes out! 



Strong vs. KOR is up and Strong as a bully heel is so great - ditto KOR as the valiant babyface! End of Heartache met a knee to the done by KOR and then a front choke! KOR COMBO HITS! RODDY EATS A DRAPING KNEE DIVING KNEE TO THE KNEE AND THEN A KNEEBAR! Strong caught the leg off a high kick and landed ANOTHER BIG BACKBREAKER! KOR gets a cross armbar before Wardlow comes down and Roddy gets the ropes. END OF HEARTACHE WINS IT and Wardlow enabled the retention so he should be in good stead with the Undisputed Kingdom. Cole comes out in the wheelchair and then walks down and Cole stares down Wardlow behind his back! WARDLORE!







FTW Title time and HOOK hits a German on the floor and a can lid shot. Jericho rebounds with a DDT on the lid for 2. Mid-air catch exploder through a table off the apron! Jericho gets an FTW trash can into hte mix. Jericho has a can on his body and eats a big exploder. Jericho gets a please retire chant and a near-fistdrop before Hook gets the Redrum, but is sent through the corner table! Feet on the ropes only get 2! Walls is on, but Hook cradles him for 2! Ballshot Jones by Jericho and the Judas Effect after an I'M SORRY gets 2.9! I'M SORRY AND ANOTHER GETS ANOTHER 2.9! BATSHOT GETS THE WIN AND THE FTW TITLE! Taz gets up angry - but angrier that he can't do anything about it. This was a fun hardcore match with a bit of drama to it.




Toni Storm vs. Rosa is up! NIGEL IS HERE FOR TONI STORM - IT'S SHOETIME! Rosa is out in a mask that she takes off to hockey fight a chalk-faced Toni. They stiff each other with chops and forearms before Rosa gets 2 off a high sunset bomb. ROSA HITS A DVD ON THE APRON! Package powerbomb attempt leads to Rosa's back going out and Toni gets 2 off a corner charge. Rosa gets a double stomp to the tits and jaw for 2. Toni sky high gets 2! TONS OF STRIKES FROM ROSA, BUT A HEADBUTT HITS! Deonna takes out LUTHER AND MARIAH! DEADLIFT GERMAN BY TONI! QUEEN OF THE BUMS Hip Attack and storm zero get 2.9! Cloverleaf by Toni, but Rosa gets the rope! Backstabber by Rosa and a kneeling cobra clutch is on! Toni kicked her in the cizunta as Darryl Van Horne would say and the second Storm Zero wins it!



DANIELSON VS. OSPREAY IS UP NEXT! Danielson is out in slick black and silver gear while Ospreay coming out...God, it's just a legend on the rise in real-time. OSPREAY OSPREAY OSPREAY OSPREAY OSPREAYYYYY chant. Danielson gets a crossbow, but it's turned into a quick pin for 2. Jim Breaks special by Danielson before more matwork before some kick exchanges and a fluid LeBell lock counter. 






Muay thai knees by Danielson before a knee to the gut gets 2. BACK AND FORTH CHOPS! STANDING SKYTWISTER PRESS TO DANIELSON AND HE BACKROLLS PERFECTLY! AVALANCHE REGALPLEX AND A PK HITS! OSPREAY WANTS ANOTHER AND GETS 2! HIDDEN BLADE TO THE FLOOR! Danielson vs. Ospreay may be the greatest match in history. I can't believe how good this is in real-time - a day after another great Danielson match too! TIGER DRIVER GETS 2 and a guillotine choke IS TURNED INTO A LA MISTICA AND THEN INTO THE LEBELL LOCK! 





Transition into the double armbar, but Ospreay gets the rope! Kneeling kicks into the buzzsaw kick hits hard! SNAP RANA BY DANIELSON OUT OF A POWERBOMB COUNTER! OSPREAY'S HIDDEN BLADE IS AVOIDED AND THE BUSAIKU KNEE HITS FOR 2.9999!! Danielson - I'M ABOUT TO KICK HIS FUCKING HEAD IN! Nigel - Potty mouth! Right into the arm-trap stomps and triangle! Ospreay avoids the omaplata and lands forearms! TRIANGLE SLEEPER IS ON! Danielson eats a Rampage bomb BUT LANDS ELBOW SHOTS! TRIANGLE TURNED INTO THE STYLES CLASH, BUT HE CAN'T FOLLOW UP!






SAFE kneeling headbutt exchange, punches and forearms! SNAP REGAPLEX AND THE HIDDEN BLADE HIT! OSCUTTER IS MET WITH A BUSAIKU KNEE! Danielson goes for the busaiku in the corner, but WILL WANTS THE HIDDEN BLADE AND HITS IT! Tiger Driver hits and they play it up like a separated shoulder with the ref attempting a stoppage, but Will not seeing it and hidden blading him to win it! They do an update on Danielson and he's fine before the Bucks are out. 



FTR are out in full Midnight Express tracksuits. Cash hits a diving lariat to both Bucks. Matt traps Cash on the barricade with a ladder and Nick hits a run-up single leg dropkick! CANNONBALL FROM NICK TO CASH ON THE LADDER BRIDGE! AND ON THE KNEES TOO - good catch by Nigel. I go to pee and Dax is gushing blood. Bucks send him into a ladder bridge and CASH MOONSAULTS OFF THE LADDER ONTO THE BUCKS! The Bucks should pour WOOO Energy on the wound! They crotch Cash and EVP TRIGGER HIM ON THE LADDER BRIDGE. Okay, the balance needed for this stuff is insane.






STEINER BULLDOG BY FTR! Dax sharpshooter as Cash traps Matt and climbs, but NICK SAVES! Nick eats a slingshot powerbomb, but Dax eats a superkick! SHATTER MACHINE AFTER TAKING MATT'S SHOES OFF! LADDER POWERPLEX BY FTR! 450 THROUGH A LADDER ON CASH and Dax's piledriver leads to the ladder buckling after the impact and Nick's head slamming either his knee or the ladder. POWERBOMB OFF THE LADDER BY NICK! NICK GETS CLOTHESLINED OVER THE ROPE AND HITS THE LADDER ON THE APRON before Cash misses a tope and goes sailing through a table! JACK PERRY RETURNS AND GIVES THE BELTS TO TBE BUCKS!







WOW what a great finish! Swerve vs. Joe is up and should be special. We get a nice David vs. Goliath battle to start with Joe overpowering him with the rolling trip before Swerve keeps the attack up on the arm. The shortarm scissor/bicep slicer is turned into a triangle which is that turned into the muscle buster for 2!  HOUSE CALL AND IT'S A DRAPING 450! SWERVE STOMP EN...NO IT GETS 2.9! Joe wants the belt and gets it, but Swerve wants a belt shot but CHOKE CHOKES HIM WITH THE BAD ARM! ARMBREAKER TO JOE! HOUSE CALL GETS 2! SWERVE STOMP HITS AND IT'S OVER! Both Cody and Swerve finished their stories!







Monday, April 8, 2024

WWE Raw 4-8-24 - Raw After Mania

 


PAUL TRIPLE H LEVESQUE opens the show and they have a subdued stage setup here - looks good! IT'S A NEW ERA so here's an HHH promo. THANK YOU HUNTER chant and by golly, wouldn't you know it, he wanted to thank us! Cody drew the largest gate in company history here and that velcro strap is fuckin' on him! A pretty epic video package airs running through his first WWE run, New Japan, IMPACT, AEW, and then returning while "rise up" plays during his WM 28 return!


That was a great goddamn video package but JESUS are they congratulating themselves a bit too much here. Like even Vince in the '80s went with FALSE MODESTY and yeah, it was bullshit, but there was a veneer of "aww shucks guys..." Cody asks for Samantha Irvin to announce him as THE NEEEWWWW UNDISPUTED WWE CHAMPION THE AMERICAN NIIIGHTTMARREEEE CODY RHODES! 


Rock comes out to a ton of muted heat with his WWWF Title homage-belt. Rock puts over Cody, puts over Dusty and said the Soulman ran with Dusty and maybe he wouldn't be proud of all the bad stuff he did to you - but eh, he doesn't care. Rock asks to hold Cody's belt and Cody says he'll allow that as long as he can hold yours. The crowd chants THIS IS AWKWARD and Rock says that the story with Roman is over, but THEIR STORY HAS JUST BEGUN!



Rock asks for his hand and gives him "something" - probably the Rolex broken up. Judgment Day shows up with Priest looking fantastic! Nakamura is out to face DRAGUNOV! April 26 and 29 are the draft days. God, imagine how good Dragunov would've been in the cold war era of territories. Verne could have had him instead of Private Nelson! Sliding German from Nakamura. HBOMB to Nak and the Torpedo Moscow wins it...so why not just have this be an NXT Title match?


Balor brings out Rhea and then she brings out Damian Priest with NEW MUSIC! We get some comedy bullshit with Truth and Miz and THEIR PARTNER LITTLE JIMMY. Or maybe Cena for two moves. Cody puts over David Taylor in video. Verne Gagne looking on proudly at amateur wrestlers being put over by the World Champion on global TV. Miz springboard crossbody into a double kneeling DDT.  Cena comes out for the tag, three-way protobomb, three-way five knuckle shuffle, and three-way AA for the win.



WWE congratulates themselves for over 200,000 fans over the weekend total. Liv beats up Rhea for a bit before Indi is out with Candice TO FACE ROXANNE PEREZ! For some ungodly reason, we get a long drawn out match instead of this just being a single move. Candice grabs the leg and Indi is mad and a boot and Pop Rox ends it. So she had to cheat to win...joy.


SHEAMUS IS RETURNING! WWE congratulates themselves more. Sami's out before Kaiser talks shit and it's now tag time with Gable teaming with Sami. After a few centuries, a powerbomb/uppercut got 2 thanks to Sami saving. Sami gets an ankle lock on the wrong leg before switching it over. Helluva kick and the chaos theory end it after 20 years. Mid-card matches from Mania get hyped up.



Jey says it's JUST ME and he's going for a top contender shot tonight. Chelsea complains backstage about not being able to get a match and all the GMs collaborate to give her a match tonight. Chelsea faces Jade, who demolishes her in like 10 seconds. Sami chats with Gable and Gable wants a shot and Sami grants it for Raw in Montreal next week. 


Drew vs. Jey vs. Bronson vs. Ricochet is up with Ricochet being ping-ponged around a bunch and sent through a table by Reed. ANNOUNCE TABLE 450 BY RICOCHET AGAINST REED! Drew wants a claymore but Punk holds his ankle for a superkick, spear, and Uso splash for the win and a Backlash match against Priest!